Time-stamp.



J. ALSENZ.

TIME STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 7, 1910.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wz'i'nesses:

J. ALSENZ.

TIME STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 7, 1910.

1,076,258. Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Ila/( en (or:

"a" f H yo-(06"- My, W 5 50771 6 J. ALSENZ.

TIME STAMP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 7, 1910. 1,076,258, Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5x13 zz zwz 57 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS ALSENZ,,OF PALISADES PARK, NEW JERSEY, ABSIGNOI T0 CUBHIIAN & DENISON MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TIME-STAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Application filed larch 7, 1910. Serial No. 547,9'06.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JULIUS ALSENZ, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Palisades Park, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Stamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a time stamp, and particularly to a hand time-stamp, and one of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a hand time-stamp capable of being moved readil from one place to another and brought own on a sheet of paper or other surface to receive an impress1on and print on said sheet or surface in a substantially straight line, and preferably in figures, the hour, minute, etc., at which the impression is made. The imprint will usually be one indicating not only the hour and the minute but also whether it was made in the forenoon or in the afternoon, together with the day and month.

Another important feature of the invention is the provision in a time-stamp of a printing mechanism movable up and down I in the main frameof the stamp and controlled by time mechanism in such a manner as to cause the operation of one or more printing wheels for the purpose of present ing such wheels in position for printing a record corresponding to the time indicated by the time mechanism. This feature of my invention preferably involves the employment of a printing mechanism mounted in a printing frame movable up and downin the main frame of the time-stamp and controlled by a time mechanism carried by the main frame of the stamp, suitable controlling means being interposed between the time mechanism and the printing mechanism for governing the turnin of the print f jment-wheel mounted for movement about ing wheels in all positions 0 the printin frame and the printing mechanism carri thereby and regardless of the number and frequency of the up and down movements of such printing frame and mechanism relative to the clockwork and the main frame of the stem A furt er important feature of the invention is the provls'ion of a motor for the print-- ing mechanism for turning one of the printing wheels, preferably the minute wheel, the action of this motor upon the printing wheels being preferably time-controlled, so 3 as to assure the location of the printing wheel, etc., in the position or positions indicated by thetime mechanism, and the motor itself being also mounted on the printing frame so that the printing mechanism and its motor constitute a compact sub-mechanism or unit movable as a whole relatively to the framework of the hand-stamp, this movement being generally the ord1nary up and down, or vertical, movement, as in other types of hand stamps.

Another important feature of my invention is the particular t pe of means employed for the purpose 0 regulating the application of power to the printing-wheels'by their motor for the urpose of turning said wheels. As to this eature, the invention is in the nature of a modification of that disclosed in In prior Patent No. 933,691, granted Octo er 12th, 1909, in which I have illustrated an escapement mechanism having all rotary parts for controlling the positioning of the minute-wheel, etc., of the train of printing wheels. In the present case I also employ a rotary escapement mechanism for controlling the application of power to the printing mechanism by the aforesaid motor, that is to say, I employ an escapement mechanism all of the parts of which are rotary, but in the present case the complementary coacting elements ofthis escapement mechanism move about axes transverse to each other, whereas in my aforesaid patent the movements of said complementary parts were about axes in parallelism with each j other.

Another important feature of this inventionis that in my improved tvpe of rotary escapement herein disclosed three coacting rotary members are movable about two axes, two of the members being movable about a single axis and cooperating with an escapethe axis of the other members of the esca ement mechanism. This escapement mec anism is also in the preferred construction carried as a whole b the printing frame and constitutes a part 0 the aforesaid submechanism or unit movable as a Whole relatively to the main frame of the stamp, and is so associated with the means by which the escapement is time-controlled as to provide a ative movement between the controlling member or members of the escapement mechanism and the time mechanism when the time mechanism is not carried by the printing frame, and to provide for such a relative movement also without regard to the number or frequency of the up and down movements of the aforesaid unit with respect to the main frame of the stamp.

Generally speaking, my object is to provide a type of hand-stamp not heretofore used, so far as' I am aware, to wit, a small, light, compact and strong hand-stamp easily and quickly movable from one place to another and brought down upon a surface on which a record is to be-made, and'in which stamp steel or other strong'metallic type-wheels are employed throughout; and in general to provide in a small and light hand-stamp the same high-grade type of mechanism, capable of doing the same class of work, as in large stationary time-stamps.

Other features of the invention relate to novel means for inking the type-wheels, to means for resetting certain of the parts and for indicating the position of one of the wheels, and to certain other features illustrated in the accompanying drawings and which will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a full-sized front elevation of a hand-timestamp embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the same, with a part of the handle broken away, and with the back plate and parts carried thereby removed; Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the same, the section being taken in line 3-3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of said hand-stamp taken from the opposite side of the same, this view being on the same scale as Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is an underside view of the lower portion of the machine with the inkribbon removed, and is also on the same scale .as Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail on the same scale as Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the two controlling elements of the escapement mechanism; and Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate certain details.

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Without limiting myself to the particular features of construction hereinafter recited, I will now describe in detail my invention as at present embodied in a hand timestamp. The general appearance of such a hand time-stamp is illustrated, particularly in Figs. 1 and 4. Herethe stamp embodies a main frame or casing, preferably of the type indicated at 2, it having in this embodiment a forward extension, preferably shaped as shown, for the reception of a small time mechanism or 'clock, indicated by 3. An upward extension of this frame, such as 4, preferably cylindrical in form, constitutes a guide for an operating member 5, to which is fastened a handle 6 for moving the printing mechanism up and down in the usual manner. The lower end of the casing is so shaped (as will be hereinafter more particularly described) as to constitute a support for the inking mechanism.

Referring now more particularly to the other views, it will be seen that within the main portion of the frame 2 the sub-mechanism or unit hereinbefore referred to is mounted for movement up and down away from and toward a surface to be impressed. This sub-mechanism or unit comprises in the construction illustrated a printing frame, such as 7 secured to the lower end of the operating member 5 and sup orting in tum the printing mechanism an various other parts. The printing mechanism is preferably of the type illustrated, that is to say, it consists of a series of printing wheels, such as minute, hour, a. m. and p. m., day and month wheels, all mounted for movement about a common axis so as to be ca pable of printing a record in a straight line on a sheet of paper or other surface on which the stamp is placed. In the construction shown, all of these printing wheels are mounted on a common shaft, such as 8, journaled in bearings, such as 9 and 10, secured in place in opposite sides of the frame 7 which may be slotted, as indicated at 11, for the purpose of enabling the printing mechanism to beplaced in position in and removed as a whole from said printing frame. At one side of the machine the shaft and printing wheels are held in position and may be readily released by a knurled nut, such as 12. The wheels shown herein are a minute-wheel 13, an hour-wheel 14, an a. m. and p. m. wheel 15, a yearwheel 16, a day-wheel 17 and a month-wheel 18. These wheels are' so mounted as to be capable of their proper movements relative to one another, and certain gearwheels, etc., are also mounted for movement about the addition to said wheels I have provided at one side of the machine an indicator-wheel,

such as 19, adapted to move in unison with the day-wheel for the purpose of showing through an opening, such as 20, in one side 1 of the main frame 2 whether said day-wheel is set in the proper position. The knurled nut 12 is connected with said indicatorwheel and day-wheel in such a manner as to permit the setting of said two wheels to the desired position and the quick changing of the date to be recorded by the stamp. The construction preferably employed for this purpose is as follows: The day-wheel 17 is not secured to the shaft 8 a sleeve 21 in fixed relation-.w-ith said daywheel, said sleeve beingmounted for rotation on the shaft 8 and carrying at a point between the two frames 2 and 7 the urticator-wheel 19,- which is secured to said sleeve but is secured to i and has on the outer face thereof suitable numerals indicating days of the month, the positions of these numerals corresponding to those on the day-wheel. Said indicatorwheel has a central opening with one or more flat sides, and is thereby held against rotation on the corresponding flattened portion of the sleeve- 21, and the nut 12 has two inward extensions or prongs with rounded outer faces and flattened inner faces fitting into the forked end of the sleeve 21 and permitting turning of the sleeve and nut in unison while preventing relativemovement between said parts. These prongs are indicated at 22. A bearing collar 22 is provided in the frame for the sleeve. At the end adjacent to said nut 12 the shaft 8, which is embodied in a bolt the head of which is indicated at 12, is reduced and threaded to enter the opening in the nut. -The construction just described renders it necessary in removing the shaft from the printing-wheels to imscrew the same from the end opposite the nut 12, it being impossible to unscrew said nut by turning it, and the shaft being normally held firmly against rotation by reason of this construction.

As before stated, a motor is employed for the purpose of turning one or more of the printing-wheels. This motor is preferably a spring motor (not shown) mounted in a barrel, such as 23, secured to one side of the printing frame 7. The movement of the spring motor is transmitted in this case by a spur-gear 24 carried by a shaft 25 journaled at one end in a hanger 26 in said printing frame, the movement of said spur-gear being transmitted to a pinion 27 secured to a transverse spindle or shaft 28 mounted at its opposite ends in opposite sides of said printing frame 7, said shaft also carrying the controlled element or escapement-wheel 29 of an escapement mechanism, a spur-gear 30 and a single-toothed stop-wheel 31 of a Geneva movement. The spur-gear 30 meshes in turn with a similar spur-gear 32 carried by the minute'wheel 13. The hour-wheel 14 in a-manner similar to the minute-wheel 13 also carries a spur-gear (of somewhat larger diameter) which is designated by 33 and which meshes with and is driven by a spurpinion 34 secured to a shaft 35 journaled at its opposite ends in the sides of the frame 7 near the rear of said frame, which shaft also has secured thereto a Geneva-wheel 36 constituting the other member of the Geneva movement hereinbefore mentioned. This wheel 36 cooperates with the stop-wheel 31 and is moved by the single tooth 37 of said stop-wheel one step in each rotation of the stop-wheel. As shown, the Geneva wheel has eight tooth spaces for cooperation with the tooth 3.7.

The escapement-wheel 29 hereinhefore mentioned is illustrated as having six long ratchet-teeth ada ated to coiiperate with the controllm whee or wheels cf the escapement mec nlsm of which said wheel 29 forms a part. In the construction illustrated there are two controlling wheels forming parts of a rotary escapement mechanism, that is, an escapement having all rotary parts. These two controlling wheels are preferably in fixed. relation with each other and move about a common axis, in this case on a shaft at a right angle to the shaft 28 carrying the escapement-wheel 29. These two controlling wheels of the escapement mechanlsm are preferably constructed as shown at 38 and 39, each having six tooth spaces, but the two wheels being so placed relatively to each other that these tooth spaces alternate, as indicated in Fig. 6. The obyect" of this is, as in a somewhat similar construction illustrated in my prior patent before referred to, to permit the escapementwheel 29 to escape through an arc represented by one-half of a tooth of said wheel each time a tooth of said wheel 29 comes opposite a tooth space in either of the wheels 38 and 39; the said escapement-wheel being permitted to turn step by step first by one and then by the other of said wheels 38 and 39, and being stopped at each such partial turn-that is, a turn represented by onehalf the length of a toothby first one and then the other of said wheels 38 and 39, as will be evident by referring articularly to Figs. 3 and 3. The control ing wheels 38 and 39 of this rotary escapement are, like the escapement-wheel 29., shown as mounted on and carried by the printing frame 7 for movement as a part of the sub-mechanism or unit hereinbefore defined. When so mounted and when controlled in their operation by time mechanism not carried by said printing frame it is necessary to provide a suitable power-transmitting connection between the time mechanism and said wheels. In the present construction this connection is effected by mounting on the shaft on which said controlling wheels 38 and 39 are carried a transmittin gear rotatable in unison with said sha but between which and the shaft provision is made for a relative movement lengthwise of the axis of the shaft and the transmitting gear. Here said shaft is illustrated as a squared one, 10, journaled at its opposite ends respectively in the top of the frame 7 and in a bracket 41 secured to one side of said frame, the controlling wheels 38 and 39 being fastened to said shaft in a fixed posie tion both lengthwise and circumferentially of said shaft; while the transmitting gear is illustrated as a "bevel-gear or pinion 42 mounted on said shaft, through which said shaft is adapted to slide up and down as it is moved up and down with the printing frame, said gear being carried in this case by a sleeve 43 journaled in a bracket 44 carried by a tubular extension 45 of the clock frame. Said tubular extension also carries the main shaft driven b the clockwork, at the end of which shaft which is not shown specially in the drawings) is a bevel gear or pinion 46 which meshes with the corresponding bevel gear or pinion 42 and drives the same, these two gears or pinions being main tained in mesh with each other at all times by the construction just described.

It will be evident that the power-transmitting connections herein specifically set forth constitute a simple and strong powertransmitting means for controlling the 'escapement mechanism, minute-wheel, etc., from clockwork or time mechanism outside the printing frame, while permitting the utmost freedom of movement as a whole and relative to such time mechanism, of the unit hereinbefore described which embodies such escapement mechanism and printing wheels.

The a. m. and p. m. wheel 15 may obviously be, and preferably is, in fixed rela tion with the hour-wheel 14, and-will move therewith. Hence, from the description hcreinbefore given of the manner in which the minute and hour wheels are controlled from the clockwork and driven by their motor, it will be clear that all of the wheels 13, 14 and 15 will .be controlled in their movements directly by said devices. In the particular construction illustrated, in which the minute-wheel is intended to print fiveminute intervals and the escapement mechanism constructed to accomplish that result, it will be seen that as the wheels 38 and 39 are operated by the clockwork through the connections. before described, to wit, the bevel gears and the squared shaft 40, the escapement-wheel 29 will be permitted to turn through an arc of 30 every five minutes, each tooth of said wheel 29 being stopped first by the upper and afterward by the lower of the two controlling wheels 38 and 39. At each such partial movement of said eseapement-wheel (which movement is effected by the motor through the gear and pinion 24 and 27, as before described) the gear-wheel 30 will turn 'the gear-wheel 32 one step and position a new number representing a five-minute interval of time. At the same time the single-tooth stop-wheel 31 will of course turn one step; and when said stop-wheel has made a complete rotation the Geneva-Wheel 36 will be turned one step and with it the hour-wheel 14 and the a. m. and p. m. wheel 15. The year, (lay and month wheels, 16, 17 and 18 may he set by hand, suitable means, such as pawls or clicks, 47, 48 and 49, (Fig. 2) being employed to hold them in the positions in which they may be set. The intermediate pawl 48 cooperates with the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 50 in fixed relation with the day-wheel 17, and hence also in fixed relation with the indicator-wheel 19.

An important feature of the invention is the provision of improved inking means for coiiperation with the printing mechanism. Thi inking means comprises two main or complementary parts, one of which is a frame carrying rotary reels or shafts and the other a complementary frame constructed to receive, and as far as possible inclose and protect, said first member. Here one of said two main members of the inking means is made up of" a downward extension of one side of the main frame 2, which downward extension is indicated at 51, and two partitubular projections extending laterally therefrom toward the other side of said main frame, said tubular extensions being indicated at 52 and 53. The tubular frame members 52 and 53 have at their inner sides openings, such as 54 and 55, to permit the proper movement of an ink-ribbon carried by reels supported in said tubular members.

The second main member of the inking means comprises a removable frame adapted to be inserted in place in the tubular members '52 and 53 and under the printing mechanism. This frame comprises essentially a side frame-piece 56 complementary. to the extension at the opposite side of the machine and a pair of rotary devices mounted therein at opposite ends of the framepiece 56 and constituting spindles or reels on which an ink-ribbon may be carried and by means of which such ribbon may be moved from one reel to the other and wound up more or less on one or the other of the required from time to time. In the present case I have illustrated a setting device mounted on a removable back-plate 62 of the main frame, said means comprising a shaft 63 journaled in a bearing carriedby said back-plate and having at its inner end a bevel gear or pinion 64 adapted to mesh with the gear 42. At its outer end said shaft 63 has a knurled head 65 for turning it. A coiled spring 66 is interposed between said knurled head and said back plate-for the purpose of normally disengaging the gear 64 from the gear 42. To set the time mechanism, the shaft is simply pushed in to bring these gears into engagement and then properly turned. When released, the spring 66 will at once disengage the gears.

The minute-wheel in the construction illustrated herein carries at one side of it a spungear 72 which meshes with a-pinion 7 3 mounted on a shaft 74 which extends through the casing in a manner similar to other shafts hereindescribed and which may lie-turned by means of a key for the purpose of adjusting the minute-wheel to any desired position.

The operating handle or head of the handstamp preferably embodies the usual spring 67 (see Fig. 3) held in place between fixed members of said head and the main frame for the purpose of returning the printingframe, etc, to its normal upper position after it has been forced down to make an impression in opposition to the power exerted by the spring.

The motor by means of which the printing mechanism is driven may be wound up in any suitable way, as by means of a key applied to the squared end 68 of the shaft 25 through an opening in thecasing :2 (see Fig. 4).

In addition to the records made by the printing-wheels hereinbefore described, other records may also be made, if desired. In order to accomplish this I have provided at 69 supplementary means which may be a hexagonal carrier, each of the sides of whichmay carry a different word or words, etc., to be impressed at the same time and in parallelism with the record made by the printing-Wheels. For example, the words Received, Paid, etc., may appear on respective faces of this supplementary recording means. Said means will of course also be carried by the printing frame 7 (see particularly Fig. 3) and each positioned printing face will be in the same horizontal plane as the faces of the main recording or printing means. A spring 70 is shown for the purpose of holding said supplementary recording means in any position in which it may be set. One end of this supplementary means projects through the side of the machine for the purpose of adjusting the same, and all of the frame parts adjacent thereto are slotted, as shown at 71, to permit the necessary up-and-down movement of the supplementary recording means with the printing frame.

For the purpose of winding the clock, a hole (not shown) is made in the back-plate 62, and the clock usually wound by inserting a long key therethrough into cobperative relation with the winding stem of the clock.

What I claim is:

1. In a hand time stamp, the combination of a main frame, clock-work mounted thereon, a printing frame reciprocably mounted on'said main frame, printing wheels journaled about a horizontal axis in said printing frame, a motor mounted in said printing frame to drive said wheels, all rotary connections between said motor and the said printing wheels, all of said connections being reciprocable with said printing. frame and rotary releasing mechanism mounted in said printing frame and operated by said clock-work irrespective of the position of the printing frame.

2. In a hand time stamp, the combination of a main frame, clock-work mounted thereon, a rinting frame reciprocably mounted in sai main frame, printing wheels mounted about a horizontal axis in said printing frame, a motor mounted in said printing frame to drive said printing wheels, con- IIJ CtlOIIS comprising a rotary escapement wheel between said motor and printing Wheels, a vertical shaft journaled in said printing frame and reciprocable therewith, releasing mechanism operated by said shaft and means to drive said shaft from said clockwork irrespective of the position of said printing frame.

3. In a hand time stamp, the combination of a main frame, a printing frame reciprocably mounted thereon, rotary printing Wheels journaled about a horizontal axis inthe lower part of said printing frame, a motor carried by said printing frame to operate said printing wheels, all rotary connections between said motor and said printing wheels, all of said connections being journaled in said printing frame and comprising a rotary escapement wheel, a vertical shaft journaled in said printing frame, a releasing Wheel carried by said shaft to cooperate with said escapement wheel, and clock-work mounted in the main frame and comprising a shaft extending into the in terior of said printing frame, the said last named shaft being geared to said vertical shaft such that the latter will be continually rotated by the former.

4. A hand time stamp movable as a whole into position on a surface to be stamped and comprising in combination a main frame, a printing frame mounted to reciprocate up and down as a whole in said main frame, means for reciprocating said printing frame, a row of type wheels j ournaled about a horizontal axis in the lower end of said printing frame for reciprocation with said frame and adapted to print in a straight line and embodying minute and hour wheels, a motor for said hour and minute wheels mounted on said reciprocable printing frame, powertransmitting connections from said motor to said wheels, time mechanism fixedly mounted on said main frame, and connections from said time mechanism to said hour and minute wheels for controlling the turning of said wheels, said connections embodying a transmission gear rotatively connected with a vertical shaft, said shaft being longitudi- .means for reciprocating said printing frame,

a row of type wheels journaled about a horizontal axis in the lower end of sald prmt- 'ing frame for reciprocation with said frame and adapted to print in a straight line and embodying minute and hour wheels, a motor for said hour andminute wheels mounted on said printing frame, powertransmitting connections from said motor to said wheels, time mechanism fixedly mounted on said main frame, and connections from said time mechanism to said hour and minute wheels for controlling the turning of said wheels, said connections embodying an escapement mechanism and also embodying a transmission gear rotatively connected with a vertical shaft, said shaft being longitudinally slidable through said gear and one of said last two elements being carried by and reciprocatory with the printing frame while the other is carried by the main frame.

6. A hand time stamp movable as a whole into position on a surface to be stamped and comprising in combination a main frame, a printing frame mounted to reciprocate up and down as a whole in said main frame, means for reciprocating said printing frame, a row of type wheels j ournaled about a horizontal axis in the lower end of said printin fram for reciprocation with said frame and adapted to print in a straight line and emfor controlling the turning of said wheels,

said connections embodying a rotary escapement mechanism having intermeshing wheels movable about axes located at a right angle to each other and also embodying a transmission gear rotatably connected with a vertical shaft, said shaft being longitudinally slidable through said gear and one of said last two elements being carried by and reciprocatory with the printing frame while the other is carried by the main frame.

7 In a hand-stamp, the combination with a main frame, of a printin frame movable up and down in said main rame, means for operating said printing frame, printing mechanism mounted in said printing frame, and ink-ribbon mechanism mounted in the main frame under said rinting mechanism, said ink-ribbon mechanism embodying two complementary members one of which is in fixed relation with and disposed transversely of the main frame and the other of which is slidable transversely of the main frame into and out of said first member of the ink-ribbon mechanism.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 5th day of March, A. D. 1910.

LAURA E. SMITH, R. CHAMPION. 

